There are many messages in the story of Jonah. But, really, how would you feel if asked to preach the message of repentance from the evil ways of deflation in Boston? Maybe just a little anxious and worried? Maybe this book is a message that God wants us to confront the causes of our anxieties and find ways to face our fears, because the outcomes may not be as bad as we imagine (and, at any rate, are almost certainly better than stewing in the belly of a fish).

Jesus’s baptism showed us how the Holy Spirit can come upon any one of us. The life of Martin Luther King, Jr. reminds us that the Holy Spirit’s presence makes the powerful uncomfortable, and that controversy often follows it. In this time when we celebrate a memory of Dr. King that does not recall the controversy, it is important to recognize that prophets are often not recognized when they are living, and that we must love deeply even when we are suspicious about motives and individuals. Recognizing flaws in ourselves and society gives us hope that we can change them.
January 18, 2015

What is it that makes us feel the presence of God, or the possibility of that presence? How can we create a worship space that encourages us to feel something that leaves us different than when we arrived?

Note: there was a problem with the lapel mic, so the audio is fairly faint.